Supes appoint members to Eureka advisory committee

Two Eureka residents were appointed Tuesday to the newly formed Greater Eureka Area Municipal Advisory Committee by the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors.

The supervisors also received a status update on the first quarter of the fiscal year 2012-2013 county budget.

The board voted unanimously to appoint retired building contractor Darrel Petersen and consultant Richard Yeider to the two open positions on the Eureka committee. The board said the other candidate -- retired professor Nezzie Wade -- withdrew her name from the application pool.

The committee was approved by the board in May, and will function as an advisory group to the supervisors on Eureka issues. The other five positions will be held by Alan Bongio, Eureka City Manager David Tyson, Jackie Deuschle-Miller, George Davis and Glen Ziemer.

Deputy County Administrative Officer Amy Nilsen gave the supervisors an update on the fiscal year 2012-2013 budget.

She said the county's revenues and expenditures appear to be on target for this year's budget. However, she said the county is having to spend general fund money on unexpected repairs.

"Facility management has had some increased expenditures," Nilsen said. "Those may require adjustments at mid-year."

Nilsen said Humboldt's economic recovery is still very slow. She said the outcome of Tuesday's election will shed some light on the future fiscal year 2013-2014 budget.

"Proposition 30 would guarantee 2011 realignment revenues and it would also provide revenue for schools," Nilsen said.

Public safety realignment, also known as Assembly bills 109 and 117, transferred the responsibility of low-risk offenders from the state to counties in October 2011. If Proposition 30 doesn't pass, trigger cuts will occur that affect education and public safety grant funding. This will likely impact the county's general fund, which pays for law enforcement efforts.